Black Warrior River, named after Chief Tushkalusa, is very important to the Alabama community. It spans 300 miles, starting from the Appalachian Highlands to the Tombigbee River. The river serves as a good source of drinking water and hydroelectric power. It flows through more than 17 counties and gives water to surrounding communities such as Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Jasper, and Oneonta. The river houses “over one million residents” (cite). This river, that is a lifeline for the communities of Alabama, would be no where without the help of the Riverkeepers. Nelson Brooke is one of the Riverkeepers for the Black Warrior River. Riverkeepers are “a citizen-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving water quality, …show more content…
Being Riverkeeper is the perfect job for him. Getting to protect and care for the river he’s grown up loving means the world to him. Brooke was born and raised in Birmingham and has been going to the river since he was seven years old. He would “pill around looking for crawfish, go fishing, watch all the wildlife, do a little bit of hunting, and explore the woods” (Brooke). Growing up loving the river set him up to be a great Riverkeeper. Brooke has been Riverkeeper for almost 12 years now and has done an exceptional job. He “was named the “2010 Alabama River Hero” by the Alabama Rivers Alliance” (cite). This is a very rewarding job. When asked what his favorite part of the job was, he said, “getting out on the water is pretty awesome, but the cool part isn’t going out on the water, it’s documenting the bad things and making a difference and all the people I get to meet” (Brooke). He talked a lot about the people he met while on the job. He relies on people to care for the environment and make sure other people are doing the same. Just one person could ruin it for the rest of the community. Getting to know the people that actually care is very important to